CHAPTER 2 Early Christian Hebrew and Scandinavian Burial

CHAPTER 2 Early Christian, Hebrew and Scandinavian Burial

Funeral Practices in early Hebrew Culture Death Beliefs – The body is made of two elements. • Basar= flesh • Nefesh=breath – At death the flesh returned to dust while the spirit (breath) persisted. – The dead retained most of their former powers of thought and feeling.

Funeral Practices in early Hebrew Culture – Also they believed that the spirit could take possession of stones, images or bodies of men. – The soul/spirit is found in the blood. – The Hebrew netherworld is called Sheol. – Believe in a concept of heaven and hell.

Funeral Practices in early Hebrew Culture – Ghosts looked, acted and dressed like the bodies they left behind. – They believed in a shadowy afterlife. – Believe in a Monotheism as opposed to Polytheism (Yahweh). – The breath or the spirit would be put back into the body.

Funeral Practices in early Hebrew Culture Burial Customs – When death occurred, souls of the righteous were passed into a blessed existence and the souls of the wicked were sent to a stake of punishment. – Both would raise from the netherworld to be judged at the last day to receive their rewards.

Funeral Practices in early Hebrew Culture Burial Customs – After death the eyes and mouth were closed, body washed, anointed with spices and dressed in daily apparel to be recognized in the afterlife, and the body was placed in the fetal position. – Burial was on the evening of the day of death. • Why do you think it was so soon?

Funeral Practices in early Hebrew Culture Burial Customs – It was mostly for hygienic reasons…. . • Putrefaction was quick to begin and would spread rapidly. The Palestine climate was hot sped up the process. • The poor were carried on a bier to the grave and buried. • The wealthy were carried to natural caves or sepulchers hewn out of rock.

Funeral Practices in early Hebrew Culture Burial Customs – Coffins were not used until 597 -547 B. C. – They wanted to return the body to the earth as quickly as possible.

Mourning Customs -They rent or tore their garments -The person mourning remained naked until the burial rites -Bare feet remained a symbol of death -Covered head with cloth or hands -Cut their flesh and their hair -Threw dust on themselves -Fasting became part of the ritual

Mourning Customs -Fasted until evening on the day of death -Lamentation (What is another word for lamentation? )

Hebrew Burial -Family members who were buried together remain together in Sheol. -Extramural (What does that mean? ) burial was in simple, unadorned, without inscription tombs. -Tombs were unclean and were thought to defile. They were later made out of lime to whiten them ceremonially and shun passers. -

Mourning Customs -Christ said in a parable: “…woe unto you because you are as sepulchers that appear not, and men that walk over and are not aware…” -There was No Ancestral Worship!

Varieties of Graves -Sunken, with stone cover -Bench -Trench -Single Chamber Most common, recess graves. They were oblong excavations, 1 ½ feet square and 6 feet long cut lengthwise in chamber walls. Could consist of 1, 2, 3 or more.

Varieties of Graves -Burial places were sacred and used for worship, making vows and sanctuary -The same offerings the Greeks were given at the tombs side -Interment or Inhumation was a general and accepted practice.

Hebrew Burial -Not a whole lot of embalming going on…Jacob & Joseph were though. -Cremation was frowned upon…It was considered an indignity and a means to intensify the disgrace of the death penalty. -The grave localized the soul and the body, so it rested secure from harm.

Hebrew Burial -To remain unburied was a misfortune. It was a duty to the living to bury all the dead. -even when stoned the stones were used to “bury the dead. ” -The Hebrews dreaded the thought of not being buried-worse-being devoured by wild animals. -Interment was denied as a punitive act only to the enemies of the Hebrews.

Funeral Beliefs and Customs of Early Christians Death beliefs – – Believed much as the Hebrews Death, burial and resurrection and the eventual divine judgment to pass to good or bad. – Christ added significant additions: • • • Commandment of love. Devine sonship of man=brotherhood of man. Internal conformity to spirit. Infinite and equal value of every human soul. No alienation of soul, it could not be destroyed.

Funeral Beliefs and Customs of Early Christians Death beliefs – Concept of heaven and hell. – Soul was both spiritual and immortal. Cremation beliefs – The body needed to be transformed on the judgment day so it was to be buried not burned. – Only used if disease or epidemic was present. – May be used to cover foul play.

Funeral Beliefs and Customs of Early Christians Christ’s Influence – No official stance was ever taken on cremation. – Those who followed him in life followed him in death (he was buried so I will be too. ) – Every soul has an equal reward if the “…become as little children…” • What is your stance on cremation?

l Funeral Beliefs and Customs of Early Christians Christian equality in death – All men are equal. – The first religion to say that eternity could be had by all, not just men, or certain people. – They looked at death as sleep. • Cemetery= put to sleep in Greek. • First religion to say birth into eternity was not sad. • The afterlife was not feared.

Burial Customs Canon law= church law Burial was done in accordance with the church. – It was simple unpretentious and organized. – The body was laid out with lights beside it. – Washed with holy water and incensed at stated times. – A cross was placed on the breast, or the hand was folded to make a cross.

Burial Customs – Burial was on consecrated ground. – EVERYONE received a Christian burial (even passers through who died). – If they couldn’t pay for a funeral the state paid. – Early Christian cemeteries were outside of the city (extramural).

Burial Customs The Hebrew Family – Eyes and mouth were closed by the husband or wife, children, etc. – The Hebrew women took care of the dead. The Christian Family – The body was considered contaminated so the priests did not touch it except for the “Kiss of Peace”

Role of the Family – Someone rubbed the feet because it was believe that the spirit left the body from the feet to the mouth. – The body was clothed in white because it was believed that is what the soul went forth in.

Preparation -The body washed to make it appear to the best advantage in the afterlife. -Lime was used to counteract the odor of decay (Hebrews). -Perfumes and spices were used to counteract the odor of decay (Christians).

The Wake The Christian Wake lasted for 3 days and had two purposes. – Make sure the body was dead (old Jewish custom). Also the sepulcher was left unsealed for 3 days. – Give comfort to the family There were no overwhelming expressions of grief. The dead were “asleep in Christ. ”

The Christian Procession -Subdued and reverent. -Death was a victory marking the beginning of a better life. -Limited to the corpse, its bearers, family and friends. -Only done in the daytimesymbolic of entering into eternal light and life.

The Christian Procession -Lights were carried to symbolize the glory into which it was hoped the body had come, and the triumph of the new state. (What lights do we use now on the way to the grave? ) -Flowers were left on the grave. -Alms were given to the poor at the grave. What is the version of this today?

The Christian Procession Eventually the procession became more elaborate and they started taking the body to the church first, then to the burial site.

Ancient Scandinavians Death Beliefs – believed in the journey of the dead Cremation – Cremation began in the Bronze age and continued through the Iron Age. – Cremation was widely accepted by the Ancient Germans and Scandinavians. – As protection from the dead – Aid in freeing the spirit of the dead

Ancient Scandinavians Cremation Beliefs Thought of as protection from the dead. -Burn the body to keep the spirits of the dead from harming the living. ~Story of Aran and Asmunder. -Aid in freeing the spirit of the dea ~The body and spirit would not reunite and it was only the spirit that gained entry into Valhalla

Ancient Scandinavians Cremation Beliefs -The disembodied soul was liberated by ritualistic ceremonies performed by the living so it may enter spiritual after life. ~think of the Vikings and how they sent off their dead.

Ancient Scandinavians Cremation Beliefs -The disembodied soul was liberated by ritualistic ceremonies performed by the living so it may enter spiritual after life. ~think of the Vikings and how they sent off their dead. -Fire was considered an enabling agent in transforming the body.